NEW DELHI: The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is set to take up the issue of reducing the gap between two doses of Covishield in an upcoming meeting, government sources said.
Since May, a 12-16 week gap between two doses of Covishield has been recommended. Earlier, this gap was 4-8 weeks. Government authorities had insisted the change had been made following mass vaccinations in the UK, which showed that the larger gap between two doses of AstraZeneca — available in India under the brand name of Covishield — raised its efficacy.
There were, however, speculations that the move was aimed at covering up the vaccine shortage in India. Though Covishield has been the lynchpin of India’s Covid vaccination drive so far, with its monthly production capacity of 10 crore doses, its supply has remained inadequate to fulfil the huge demand.
Chairman of India's COVID-19 Working Group of NTAGI, Dr N K Arora, however, said no such proposal for changing the dose interval for any COVID-19 vaccine is under consideration.
"There are several studies and programmatic data collection processes are on to assess the vaccine effectiveness. NTAGI is reviewing the vaccine effectiveness data on a regular basis. Currently there is no proposal for change in the dose interval for Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V is under consideration," Arora said.
The government in May had further extended the gap between the two doses of Covishield from 6-8 weeks to 12-16 weeks and said the decision to increase the gap was based on scientific evidence.
Based on emerging data, India would revisit the dosage interval for Covishield vaccine and take appropriate action, Arora had earlier said.
On the decision to increase the gap between two doses of Covishield from four-six weeks to 12-16 weeks, he had said the move was based on scientific decision and there was no dissenting voice among members of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation
Meanwhile, on a day India reported 46,164 fresh cases, the highest since early July, the health ministry highlighted that 58% of these cases were from Kerala. The government warned against dropping guards as the festive season approaches, bringing the threat of pushing the cases northwards.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said except for Kerala, rest of the states are exhibiting a declining trend in case counts.
“Kerala is the only state reporting over 1 lakh active cases, while four states have 10,000 to 1 lakh active cases,” Bhushan said.
Meanwhile, no report of COVID-19 vaccine shortage has been received from states and Union Territories in the past two to three weeks and the present situation is "satisfactory", the government said on Thursday.
Responding to a question at a press conference, Bhushan said states and Union Territories (UTs) have been asked to increase the pace of their vaccination drives.
"In the past two-three weeks no such report from any state has been received. We give daily reports of unutilised and balanced vaccine doses and in the past two-three weeks the balance unutilised vaccine doses quantity has not gone below 2.5 crore so we believe that the present situation is satisfactory," he said.
"We have repeatedly told states and UTs that vaccination pace must be increased. We had a meeting with states on the matter just yesterday and results are also being seen that 80 lakh doses were administered in the last 24 hours and even today, 47 lakh doses were administered," Bhushan said.
On reports that second dose was missed by over three crore people, he said a range of periods have been given for people to take this dose.
"We have given a range during which a person can get vaccinated. When you cross the outer limit of that range then it becomes absolutely imperative that prior to crossing that outer limit you are administered the second dose," he said.
This fact must be clear, and at any given moment "there will be a certain number of people who have completed four weeks or 12 weeks, but on the next day, they must have got a vaccine dose", Bhushan said.
"To interpret this fact by saying 'X' people have been missed will not be technically correct. Better way would be to ask for three or four consecutive dates to get a complete picture," he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
